


Brave words, for a fucking moron

by saintsavage



Category: Adam (2009), Charlie Countryman (2013), Hannibal Extended Universe - Fandom
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Hannibal Extended Universe, Like, M/M, Minor Violence, One Slightly Abused Telescope, Spacedogs, so much, so much fucking swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-12 13:07:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11737677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saintsavage/pseuds/saintsavage
Summary: A/B/O Nigel meets someone new during a very late walk trying to clear his head.





	Brave words, for a fucking moron

**Author's Note:**

> I don't have a beta, soooo sorry if it's a mess? Also I've never seen either of these movies, just read more fanfiction than I should admit to because the Hannibal fandom is full of enablers.

Nigel was smoking near the park, not _in_ the park because heaven fucking _forbid_ he _smoke_ in a fucking _park_ without some tiger mom getting in his fucking face because of her stupid kid or some shit. He was tough, but some of those omegas could rip his head right fucking off, he was sure of it - best to hedge his bets and stay out of the line of fire even if it was at some godawful hour in the night. Morning? He didn't really know.  
  
It was the sort of thing he was trying to do more, playing it safe, after he'd survived being shot in the fucking head.  
  
Darko still thought it was _hilarious_ , the prick. _Of course you're so damn hard headed the bullet pinged off your damn skull._ Nigel found it less hilarious now that he had night-terrors and shit. It's why he'd started taking long-ass walks before turning in for the night, and sometimes after depending on how bad it got. Anything to try and tire himself out long enough to pass out for a few hours uninterrupted, but a lot of the time it didn't work. Most of the time.  
  
Like right now, it was bad. He still had the goddamn shakes. _Gabi like a demon with her gun, burning, blazing with fury so hot it was like a second sun. She just kept pulling the trigger, over and over, and Charlie fucking Countryman was there, hands all over her. And they were so fucking happy in the flames._ Sometimes it would just be Gabi, it would be cold and dark and suddenly there'd be a crashing sound, like waves. A few times she wasn't there at all, he was lost in some burning warehouse, place set up like a maze - a real deathtrap - and he could hear her laughing, but he couldn't find her and then she started to scream and scream and _scream_ -  
  
" _Fuck!_ " Nigel tossed the butt on the ground and ground it out with his shoe. He thought about checking the time, maybe texting that shit Darko to see what he was up to, but as he turned the corner he noticed a group of guys circled around somebody.  
  
Nigel had seen enough fights to know whatever was happening wasn't good news. The guys looked shitfaced and were probably feeling pretty fucking sure of themselves right about now. He couldn't see who they had managed to crowd up against the wall but whoever it was, Nigel felt bad for the poor fucker.  
  
_None of my fucking business._  
  
Head down, Nigel crossed the street, intending on walking by the whole mess and hoping the movement wouldn't attract the idiot's attention. He didn't feel like fucking anybody up right now.  
  
"What the fuck did you say to me? Huh?"  
  
"You asked what I was looking at, I told you." Nigel paused, briefly, hearing that strange, monotone voice. He didn't sound fucking afraid at all. _Is he crazy?_  
  
"You think this is a joke? Think you're funny?"  
  
"I didn't tell a joke and this situation isn't very humorous."  
  
Nigel felt himself cringe. _Is he fucking stupid? This guy is just egging them on!_ But then. _Not my problem. I just want to go home and fall asleep watching some stupid documentary about fucking zebras or some shit. Just going to keep my head down-_  
  
"Please be careful that telescope-"  
  
"Or what, you gonna stop me? Why do you even have this? I bet you're a fucking creep. Doesn't he look like a creep guys? Fucking freak."  
  
Something dropped, a heavy, metallic sort of thud. Nigel winced when he heard the owner of what was probably a dented telescope whimper in distress. He was about even with the little tragedy-in-the-making now and couldn't help himself: he looked across the street.  
  
What he saw had him stopping completely. Four drunk assholes and one very scared looking man who was rubbing his arms and swaying slightly. His lips were moving but Nigel couldn't make out the words - if he was speaking at all. _He can't be more than fucking twenty. He looks fucking terrified._  
  
_Goddamn it._  
  
Nigel crossed the street just as Asshole #1, the only one who had been doing the talking so far, shoved the kid. Asshole #2 shoved him, straight in to Asshole #1's fist. The kid's head went flying and he stumbled backwards, landing hard on the ground. It might have happened again but Nigel was sure as fuck going to make sure it didn't.  
  
"What the fuck are you cocksuckers doing?"  
  
Now, after being in America for ten months or so, Nigel knew a few things. He knew people didn't seem to like him. They found him crude, thought he had no sense of fucking humor - or fashion - and seemed to think he was generally up to no fucking good. Which he probably would have been, before. But now he's just trying to live his fucking life and that shit got annoying. He also knew people were very, very afraid of him when he was angry.  
  
Like now.  
  
Assholes #1-4 stumbled away from the kid _immediately_. Fucking _scattered_. The one who'd been about to catch the kid (and throw him back in to the fray, the fuck) moved so fast he tripped over his fucking feet and fell on his ass, scooting away on the ground when he got there because he was very aware - as were his friends - that he'd... how did the Americans put it?  
  
Right: He'd Done Fucked Up.  
  
Nigel cracked his knuckles, all but roaring at the useless bastards. "Well? The fuck is happening here? Four of you against one fucking kid?" None of them had a solid answer for that, their cockiness totally fucking _gone_ in the face of one royally pissed off alpha. Close as he was now, it surprised him a bit because at least one of the pricks was an alpha too. It was hard to judge who in such a tight space, with everyone soaked in adrenaline and booze. _For sure one of these assholes is, which means he needs a goddamn lesson._  
  
On the ground, the kid whimpered. His nose was just _gushing_ blood but he wasn't paying much attention to that, to any of them really. He was just rocking on the ground... it was painful to look at. It reminded Nigel of how his sister would get sometimes, when their parents were drinking and slapping eachother around. She'd just zone out and hold herself until it stopped. Self-soothing or some shit. Seeing that now made Nigel angry, because he could tell a kid like that hadn't done anything wrong, he'd just been walking home or doing what the fuck ever. He shouldn't have to be afraid of getting harassed. It was bullshit.  
  
If there was something Nigel really didn't like, it was fucking bullshit.  
  
"No fucking answers? Guess I'll get on with showing you how alphas handle assholes when they get outta line then."  
  
All of a sudden the talker, Asshole #1, got a shot of confidence. Like maybe he'd done some drunk math in his head and figured it was four to one. Nevermind that the _one_ was Nigel and he was a big, scary fucker. Four beat one, right? _Wrong_. But Nigel felt amused enough to see where this was headed.  
  
"Hey! Mind your business or _this_ alpha will hand your ass to you, just like I did to that guy."  
  
_Brave words, for a fucking moron._ Nigel might have given him a 3 out of 10. Instead he gave him a fist to the face, effectively smashing his fucking nose. "Try again." He turned to the other three (well, mostly, the one on the ground had halfway crawled in to an alleyway at this point) and waited until they picked up their friend and ran the fuck away like fucking bitches before turning his attention back to the kid.  
  
"Hey, hey kid." Nigel crouched down low, not moving any closer. "They aren't gonna fuck with you anymore, okay? I scared the piss out of those fucking dogs." The rocking hadn't stopped and there was blood dripping down his face, all over his shirt. This close Nigel couldn't help noticing that the kid was fucking gorgeous. Big eyes, curls, all that pale, pale skin. No wonder they'd targeted him, probably made a pass at him too.  
  
Nigel shuffled forward, very easily, telegraphing his movements as he went so he didn't spook him. When he got close enough to touch the kid was still zoned out completely. "I'm gonna touch you now, okay? Just to tilt your head back so you don't keep bleeding all over yourself." Nigel did just that, gently tipping his head back and pinching his nostrils. "Nice and easy, just like that. Can I get you to hold your nose?"  
  
The kid obeyed, still shaking all over. "Good, you're doing just fine." Unable to help himself Nigel pet the top of his head like he would a dog. He was shit at comforting, but that seemed like maybe it would help. _Fuck if I know_. "My name is Nigel, can you tell me your name?" Technically, his name in this miserable cocksucking country was Adrian, but his real name just slipped out.  
  
"Adam. My name is Adam Raki," His voice was soft, so quiet Nigel almost didn't make out the words. He didn't know why, but it made him smile brightly in response, running his hand through the kid's curls again. _Adam_.  
  
"Well, it's nice meeting you Adam, though I'm not glad you had to meet motherless dogs like them."  
  
Adam tilted his head in to the contact. "They aren't dogs, and everyone has a mother, regardless as to whether or not she's alive at this time."  
  
"Guys who act like that are fucking assholes, gorgeous." It didn't strike him as odd, having to explain that. Nigel was so used to explaining himself anyway that it went right over his head. He was more focused on trying to scent Adam, confused when he couldn't find a trace of anything. Not even the hint of a scent.  
  
"I think they broke my telescope."  
  
Nigel pulled back, looking at the partially unzipped bag before dragging it closer to them. There didn't seem to be any broken glass but there was a dent on one side of it. "It looks a little banged up. Is that... is that bad?"  
  
Though he was still rocking Adam had stopped holding himself as he looked inside. He let out another distressed whimper. "Bad."  
  
"Tell you what, let's get you home and take a better look, eh?"  
  
"I don't know you."  
  
"I'm not going to hurt you, kid. I just want to make sure you get home safe. You don't want me coming inside that's just fine, nothing wrong with that."  
  
Adam whimpered again. It was several minutes before he spoke, and by that time the rocking stopped. "You helped me. Your name is Nigel. I guess I do know you." Nigel waited, curious if there was going to be any more. Instead he watched as Adam gingerly stood up, seeming to gather himself as he did so.  
  
Figuring the kid had decided Nigel zipped the bag back up and followed suit. "I guess you do, Adam Raki. So, where to?" He offered what he hoped was one of his less flirty smiles, though he was tempted to turn on the charm. There was something about the kid that appealed to him, though he couldn't say what. Maybe it was his fragility, or the way he'd remained so calm even surrounded by a bunch of dicks intent on hurting him. Maybe it was the fact that he was a fucking 10 and Nigel was helpless in the face of such fucking beauty. He honestly didn't really question of the why of the feeling.  
  
Which was why he resisted temptation, because the last time he'd set the world on fire for a pretty face and look where that had got him?  
  
Idly he took in the sight of Adam's perfect ass. _Look indeed._  
  
"This way." Without hesitation Adam led the way, still holding his nose. He seemed more settled now that they'd made a sort of plan. It was a small sort of detail but Nigel's life used to hinge on noticing the little things - it wasn't the kind of skill you just shut off. It made him wonder why but he figured Adam wasn't up to any kind of questioning just yet. Not after what he'd just gone through.  
  
"Thank you, for helping me." With only moonlight to go off of, it was hard to say just what the color of Adam's eyes were, but even though he'd turned his head towards Nigel they never seemed to come anywhere close to meeting his gaze. They just darted everywhere and vaguely settled somewhere near his shoulder. _Huh_.  
  
"Happy to help, wish I could have beaten a little sense in to them, but at least they were good and scared. Should make them think fucking twice next time."  
  
"It's wrong to hit people." Nigel was fully ready to jump on that little topic but Adam sailed right on past it. "I don't understand why they were upset. They asked me where I was going, and I told them home. And then they asked if I wanted to have a little fun and I told them that I had to go home because if I didn't go to bed soon then I wouldn't wake up at the right time. It made the taller man upset when I refused to go with them. But why would I?"  
  
He seemed so goddamn sweet, even with a face full of blood, and so fucking naive. _Christ, he's gotta be younger than twenty. What are they even teaching these American kids?_ It stirred up something in Nigel, the part of himself that he could sort of recognize now as protection instincts gone wrong. (He only recognized that at all after going to therapy, a fact he would take to his fucking grave.)

Still, there was nothing wrong with cluing Adam in to the obvious, was there? "Darling, they were probably hitting on you."  
  
"No, they didn't hit me until after."  
  
"No... like, flirting. They wanted to sleep with you." Adam blinked. _Okay then._ "They wanted to fuck you."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Something tells me you're a blunt guy. It probably got the guy's balls all twisted to get shot down in front of his friends so he got violent. Alphas can be dicks." Nigel could only shrug, wondering if maybe under the blockers he wore Adam was in fact an alpha. He didn't seem like the type - Nigel had _never_ met an alpha that could keep themselves that calm in a fight - but he supposed anything was possible. Not that he was fishing or anything. He wouldn't do that. Fishing implied interest, and Nigel knew better than to be interested in anybody. Really. He did.  
  
"So he was upset because I didn't want to have sex with him?" _Christ kid, you want me to spell it out for you?_  
  
"Yeah dollface, yeah."  
  
Adam was looking at him again, chancing a quick, darting glance upward before looking away again. It was strange. He didn't seem to be afraid of Nigel at all, not the way others were. Anxious, yes, but lacking in all fear. _There's no way he's a fucking omega, gotta be a beta._ Whatever he was, Nigel found himself enjoying Adam's company. It was one thing to be the scariest motherfucker in the room when he was killing people and running drugs, it was quite another to have the cashier at the corner store burst in to tears when he asked for some fucking smokes _every single time_.

"Why do you keep calling me things like that? My name is Adam."  
  
Admittedly, Nigel's smile was more than mildly flirtatious at this point. He was only human. "I know that, gorgeous."  
  
"You're very strange."  
  
"So I've heard." Adam had stopped outside an older brownstone in a nicer part of the city - nicer than the slum Nigel was currently holed up in, that was for sure. He was fidgeting again and Nigel was steeling himself for the inevitable 'thanks but fuck off' talk that was coming. _He's way too pretty and sweet for me anyway_. Still, Nigel couldn't help wanting to go upstairs. "What now, do you want to go up alone or have me come upstairs with you?"  
  
"Do you want to come upstairs?"  
  
"I'm not asking that."  
  
After a moment of hesitation, Adam raised his head, finally meeting Nigel's eyes for a half-second but fucking _hell_ , it was enough. Better men would have fallen on their ass after such a look. "I would like for you to come with me. You're very attractive and your scent makes me feel safe. You can also carry my telescope easier than I can, as it is very heavy."  
  
And just what was Nigel supposed to say to _that_? His mouth might have fallen open, but he recovered enough to smile again. "Okay gorgeous, sounds like a plan."

Though Adam hovered and fretted as they climbed up three flights of stairs Nigel didn't drop his telescope. Hell, the thing practically weighed nothing compared to hauling around a half-dead Darko, and he'd done that often enough back home. He didn't even think it weighed as much as Gabi and he'd definitely carried her more than once. Then again, Adam was a slight little thing. It made him wonder how he'd managed to get it down the stairs at all but when he asked Adam, naturally, told him about the _elevator_.

Nigel was baffled. "Why didn't we take that?"

"Because you said you wanted to come upstairs." That... well, Nigel _had_ said that. Technically. _Apparently Adam takes things very fucking literally. Good to know_.

There were eight different locks on the door, all of which Adam opened carefully before opening the door and awkwardly gesturing for Nigel to come inside. Now, maybe it was a good time to bring up the stairs thing - _because fucking seriously?_ \- but admittedly the first thing Nigel did was take a very deep fucking breath because it was supposed to be the moment of the grand reveal: finding out just what Adam was hiding under his impossibly strong blockers.

All Nigel got for his efforts was fucking _nothing_. The barest, tiniest hint of omega, but that could have been from anywhere. Omega scent tended to cling and who knew if one of those assholes had been one? Alphas didn't have the monopoly on shit behavior, after all.

It was disappointing, to say in the least. _What the fuck? He has to have a scent, right? Like... he has to fucking have a scent. But if he does why isn't it here? Nobody wears blockers at home. That's fucking insane._

 While he inwardly sort of flailed Nigel exuded nothing but his usual confidence - hey, it took a lot more to shake him than this. Apparently he'd been trying to climb off the gurney when he'd been shot, insisting that he was fine and just needed a nap. So, yeah. Not the worst thing. If anything it was interesting. A mystery. Yeah, he could get behind that. _Mysterious, gorgeous fucking stranger who isn't afraid of me and is really interested in... stars? Why are there stars everywhere?_ "Let's get a better look at that nose of yours. You got some kind of first aid kit?"  
  
"Yes, in the bathroom under the sink." Adam didn't seem to notice that Nigel had A) blatantly scented his fucking house or B) that Nigel was staring at all the various space-themed prints lining the walls with confusion. He was more focused on holding his head at an angle to prevent anymore blood from getting on his shirt. Seeing that spurred Nigel in to action, his hindbrain going in to overdrive at thoughts of protecting and providing. _Christ, being a fucking alpha is fucking bizarre sometimes._  
  
"You sit on the couch, we'll get you cleaned up and then you can change out of that shirt." Nigel found a very neatly put together first aid kit under the sink, just where Adam told him. It was very well-stocked... unusually so. he wasn't so sure but were packets of sutures really things the common person needed 'just in case'? And a home birthing kit? _Focus Nigel, focus._ He went back to the couch and started wiping the blood away as gently as he could with an alcoholic wipe. It ended up taking three to finish the job and then he was pressing around the bridge of his nose like his Uncle had shown him to see if it was broken. "Does this hurt?"  
  
"Yes." Adam hadn't moved the whole time, hadn't even made a sound.  
  
"It's gonna bruise like a sonofabitch, but it's not broken. You might want to put some ice on it though, to keep the swelling down. Still, you look better already." Another smile that seemed to fly right over Adam's head. _This kid is the most oblivious motherfucker in the world. Maybe he's just not in to alphas?_  
  
"I need to get changed." Throughout their entire encounter Adam's voice remained very neutral. He'd never gotten angry, or upset, never seemed to really express anything at all. To himself Nigel was wondering if he wasn't in some kind of shock. He'd seen it happen before, but never over something so small as a fight. Then again, a kid like Adam probably hadn't ever been in a fight before. _Fuck, how the fuck do you deal with shock? Is it a fucking hospital thing? Do I wake him up every few hours?_  
  
"You do that, I'll get this set out on the table and we'll see what we can do."  
  
Adam didn't say anything, choosing to nod his head and leave - giving plenty of time for Nigel to wonder about the omega living in the apartment (and maybe to google shock symptoms on his phone)

In particular, if the omega he smelled was, in fact, Adam himself. He knew about blockers - of course he fucking did, you learn that shit in grade school - but he'd never known any to work _that_ effectively. Something always crept through, especially as they day wore on. And nobody wore them at home.  
  
But Adam was perfectly free of anything, even the smallest wisp of scent. Nigel hadn't even thought about it until they came in to the apartment. It was definitely too big for one person and just under the surface he could smell the softness of an omega. But it was very faint, hardly even there. If it was Adam, he must religiously use blockers.  
  
He came back in wearing a pair of space-themed pajamas, looking at once painfully young and absolutely, gobsmackingly fucking beautiful. _And hopefully not in shock but I'm going to convince him to wrap up in a blanket anyway. And maybe have some tea? Do Americans drink fucking tea?_  
  
Together they fiddled with his telescope for about an hour until Adam concluded that nothing on the inside was damaged - it was just a dent. He seemed relieved until he glanced at the clock. Then that nervous energy was back, tension locking him up until he was stiff as a fucking board. "You okay Adam?" Nigel had at some point convinced Adam to put a blanket around his shoulders but hadn't worked up to the tea part yet. Mostly because he felt like an absolute ass trying to take care of the kid.  
  
"I should be in bed. I have to go to sleep." An edge of nerves found it's way in to Adam's voice and it made Nigel regret every wondering if Adam got emotional.  
  
"Okay, not a problem, I'll head out then." He didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay, to make sure Adam was okay. To protect him. _Un-fucking-believable. One hour and it's Gabi all over again! I need to get out of here before I do something fucking stupid. Again._  
  
"It's very late." He seemed torn between needing to follow his schedule and wanting to... spend time with Nigel? Nigel hoped to god it was that, because it gave him hope that he'd see Adam again. _No, I don't want to see him again. That's not... fuck!_ "You shouldn't walk home this late. You can... you can stay here. If you want." _Of course I fucking want._  
  
"Are you sure Adam?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Now that Adam had invited him to stay Nigel was flooded with a sense of contentedness. On one level he fucking knew he was starting to get a _little_ obsessed, but it was such a precious thing, having Adam trust him like this. He honestly didn't care if that made him romantic or an idiot or if it was 'problematic'. Adam wanted him to stay and that meant Nigel was fucking staying. "Then I'll crash on your couch if it's okay. I don't want to bug you or your roommate."

Maybe he shouldn't have, but Nigel couldn't resist fishing a little.  
  
"I don't have a roommate. I'll get you some blankets." That meant only one thing: Adam was the omega he could catch tantalizing hints off in the apartment. _Hot fucking damn_. Nigel tried to school his features in to anything but dizzying amounts of fucking joy when Adam came back in to the room, but it wasn't easy. Thankfully Adam didn't comment. He was too busy frowning at his couch and holding the blankets tightly to his chest.

Concerned Nigel moved closer, wanting to find the problem and eliminate it. "Uh, Adam? Is something wrong?"

Without an embellishments Adam told him - which was fucking refreshing. Nigel wasn't sure he was up to guessing this late in the night/morning. "You're too tall for the couch."  
  
"What? No, gorgeous this is more than fine. I've slept in way worse places than this, a lot less comfortable too." All true.  
  
But that wasn't good enough for Adam who started whining softly, clutching the blankets even tighter.  
  
"Hey, Adam, hey, take it easy. Tell me what's wrong." It was instinct to rub his back, to let his hand slip higher and press against his neck - gentling. He couldn't remember having to do it for Gabi often, hell fucking ever, but he must have done an alright job because Adam wasn't as tense. "You can tell me if you want me to go, I'm not going to get mad at you, promise. Just tell me what's got you upset."  
  
"You're too tall for the couch. I should be asleep. You're not going to be comfortable and you're my guest. I have another room but I don't want you to sleep there." Fucking Adam. Nigel was starting to believe the kid didn't even know how to lie.  
  
With care, Nigel turned Adam's face towards him - not forcing eye contact, but wanting to make sure he had his attention. "Adam, do you believe me when I say that it's fine sleeping on the couch?"  
  
"You'll hurt your neck." Another brief, fleeting bit of eye contact. _By fucking god, those are the bluest fucking eyes I've ever fucking seen._  
  
"I'll fucking survive."


End file.
